(Columbia, SC) — South Carolina has been selected to receive a federal grant aimed at strengthening families, expanding early intervention services and reducing the number of children entering foster care.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services announced that it has been awarded a Prevention Accelerator Grant through the U.S. Administration for Children and Families. South Carolina is one of only 10 states selected nationwide to receive funding through the initiative. Individual state awards range from approximately $600,000 to $750,000.
The grant is part of a $7.3 million federal investment designed to help states develop and strengthen programs that reach families before circumstances escalate to the point that children must be removed from their homes.
Using the funding, SCDSS plans to launch UPSTREAM SC, a new initiative focused on expanding early referral pathways and prevention services in counties considered at higher risk for child welfare involvement.
The goal is to connect families with resources and assistance earlier — before challenges such as instability, neglect or other family crises become severe enough to result in foster care placement.
SCDSS State Director Tony Catone said strengthening prevention efforts can help families remain safely together while reducing the trauma that can accompany a child’s removal from the home.
The initiative is expected to strengthen the state’s ability to identify families who may need assistance and connect them with community-based services, support programs and evidence-based interventions.
South Carolina has already been working to expand family-centered prevention programs through its implementation of the federal Family First Prevention Services Act. The state’s prevention strategy includes services designed to address family challenges while allowing children, when safely possible, to remain in family settings rather than entering foster care.
The new federal funding will also complement South Carolina’s A Home for Every Child initiative, which focuses in part on increasing kinship care opportunities and expanding the availability of foster homes when out-of-home placement is necessary.
For families, the announcement represents a continued shift toward addressing problems earlier rather than waiting until a family reaches a crisis point.
Residents interested in learning more about family-support programs, foster care or becoming a licensed foster parent can find additional information through the South Carolina Department of Social Services.
